Auditioning leads to work. When you audition for a voice-over job, you need to concentrate on what’s being asked of you, how to best convey the purpose and sentiment of a script, and persuade clients as to why they should work with you on their projects.

In the old days, this was a lengthy process that involved many people, locations, and meetings or phone calls. However, now, with online marketplaces replacing the need for agents and studios, auditioning is much more autonomous and streamlined; The process has been made simple, and is designed to help you put your best foot (or voice) forward. Keep in mind, though, that there are specific steps to follow when auditioning in this virtual world. Being an autonomous voice artist who is leveraging the power of the online voice over industry comes with some responsibility.

It is for this that we have assembled some straightforward guidelines for you:

Step 1: Creating an online account

Clients are constantly in need of people who can do voice overs. Wanting to make their jobs easier and their projects more efficient, they engage with online job marketplaces, posting voice over jobs for you to see. These job postings outline requirements and what types of voices are needed. After the job postings have been submitted and approved, you can peruse the listings. But you can only do this if you have an online account.

To create an account, find the audition sites you’re interested in and register. Some online sites where you can find voice-over auditions include Voices.com, Elance.com, and Guru.com. Once you make your decision, you follow along with the directions they give you, and create an account that lets you shine. Feel free to take a look at other accounts on the site for examples and best practices to help you form your own.

Step 2: Locating jobs

You can locate jobs through sites that you are registered for in two ways:

Perusing job listings on the site

Clicking through an e-mail link to a job posting’s details

Remember, though, only voice actors who are logged in to their accounts can audition for jobs.

After job postings are submitted and approved to registered sites by clients, e-mail notifications are sent out to the voice actor profiles that match the project requirements. Some of these requirements include language, gender, voice age, and the kind of work needing to be recorded. This is the reason why you should have an account and profile.

Job notification e-mails include a direct link to where you can see the postings, which allows you to glean more information regarding what’s required of you. Also, if you’re clicking through a link in an e-mail, finding jobs is much easier than having to browse listings on your own.

Step 3: Reviewing job postings

When looking at job postings, take every detail into account, particularly where it pertains to areas that the clients have typed in, such as the job description and sample script.

Step 4: Downloading the script

Most jobs have a script attached to them that you can download and review. The script is more often than not the final copy and may contain additional information such as storyboards and sides. Some voice actors read the scripts directly off their computer screens or iPads, and others prefer to print them off and put them on a music stand.

If you’re reading the script on a screen, use the word processing tools to highlight, italicize, or bold anything you need to be aware of. Don’t be afraid to add your own direction and analysis of the script if none has been provided. If you’re working from a print out, grab your pencil and get marking, highlighting the same things you would on screen. Check out Chapter 11 for more help on marking up your script.

Step 5: Replying to a job

Replying to a job is an exciting prospect! Every opportunity you take advantage of could lead to something bigger and greater than you ever imagined. Therefore, taking time to reply is important, as being ready and presenting yourself professionally are key factors in securing a job when you are not representing yourself in person.

As well, remember that being selective with the jobs you reply to can be of great benefit to both yourself and the client who posted the job. If you feel that you’re a wonderful fit and can confidently deliver on all that’s being required after finding a job posting that interests you, go for it! You can reply to the job by submitting an online audition- using an excerpt of the script that is often provided in a posting- that consists of a brief message, your voice-over demo, and a quote for the job.

Step 6: Getting a response

After the client posts a job, they can log in to their account and listen to the audition responses. If your audition is one that catches their interest, a client will contact you directly through the marketplace using the site’s internal messaging system to further discuss the project. After a final selection has been made, the client awards the project to the best voice actor for the job (hopefully, that’s you!). Then, if a payment service is offered on the site, the client makes a deposit to your account to secure your services.

Typically, if the site is like Voices.com, you’ll receive a notification via e-mail stating that you’re the winning candidate. Such an e-mail will include instructions on what you have to do next, and links to where those actions can be taken when logged into your account.

At this point, you may have direct contact with the client and discuss details pertaining to the job. The marketplace may disclose your contact details to client and vice versa to facilitate easier communication between the two of you. After you complete the work in a recording studio, whether a third party one or your own personal one, you upload the file(s) using the site’s guidelines and applications, and await the client’s approval of the work. Their approval should trigger authorization of payment.

Remember that these are the most basic of steps for those new to the virtual world of voice over auditions. The finer points of auditioning online, such as how to protect your work and appropriately quoting for any given job, will come to you over time. To make that process a little easier, we will be covering those topics in our next post. Stay tuned!

About The Authors

Stephanie Ciccarelli and David Ciccarelli are the founders of Voices.com, the largest global web hub for voice actors. Over the past nine years, Stephanie, David, and their team have grown Voices.com from the ground up to become the leader in the industry. This article was originally published in Voice Acting For Dummies and has been republished with permission from John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Recording your voice-over demo is one of the biggest steps you can take professionally to move ahead in voice acting. Most people feel comfortable making a demo after they’ve gone through some training, and often work with a producer to help shape the best sample of their voice as possible. Last week, we discussed why demos are essential, and this week, we’re covering the things to consider when recording your demo.

Making a voice-over demo is a very personal, artistic, and technical process. You can go about doing this on your own, but we advise that you consider the possibilities of having a demo produced for you professionally. Your voice-over demo can be your ticket to success and often serves as the first impression of your voice to a prospective client.

Your demo takes a lot of careful planning and, ultimately, should cater to your strengths as a voice actor and producer. When recording your own demo, take into account some of our best tips. Whether you are looking to go the DIY route, or choose to invest in hiring a pro to help you, the following will help you prepare and shape a demo that will guarantee you success in your voice acting career:

Figure out what to record

Map out what parts of your demo you’re best equipped to handle on your own. Focus on the length of each spot, ways that you can quickly indicate where you may need to edit the session, and prepare for additional tracks, such as music or sound effects. You also want to pay attention to the ordering of each spot to ensure that it flows well from one spot to the next.

Produce specific elements

A demo has more to it than just your voice over recording. Tracks for music, sound effects, and additional voices can come in handy during post-production. If you consider yourself to be a technical individual, you will enjoy producing the demo and having fun with the bells and whistles. If not, you may want to partner with a studio or a friend who’s a proficient audio engineer to help you with the technical recording aspects.

You may even want to try creating your own sounds instead of relying on premade sound effects. As with all things, use good judgment when deciding whether you should purchase professional sound effects, music beds, and so on, versus creating them yourself.

Be careful about music selections

Music often sets the tone for a voice-over demo and helps to establish your personal branding style. But don’t let styles of music that have been shelved for too long give clients the wrong impression of your production or music selection skills.

Ask yourself the following questions:

Does the music sound retro in a bad way? Is the music from the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, or early 2000s?

Are the sound effects in line with what you would expect to hear today?

Are there cheesy synthesizers in the background?

Does the music selection support the essence of the spot?

Is the spot supposed to sound retro as in a parody spot or throwback?

There are exceptions to the rule where certain spots need to have an aged or vintage sound. You may find these sounds to apply to game show spots, old time radio drama, or the stereotypical announcer read from decades ago. In those instances, you can get away with using those elements because they support the spot in general and contribute to its authenticity and overall effectiveness.

As well, remember that, alternatively, music generally isn’t used in demos representative of audiobooks and narration. Other markets of voice-over work that don’t necessarily include music are interactive and talking toys. Typically it’s just the voice that’s required so as not to hinder someone’s ability to hear the message being delivered. Know when to add music, and when to steer clear of it.

Find royalty-free music

If you use music in your demo, royalty-free music is music that is sold relatively inexpensively, which can be licensed for use by people, such as freelance voice actors and producers for their productions. You can use this type of music in your productions without having to pay recurring fees (paying money each time the music is played). Music beds are great for using underneath your voice-over to accompany the read. You can purchase them either as a single track or as a package with variations on a theme. You can also purchase royalty-free sound effects to use in your demo.

As with anything, purchase the music from a trusted source with licensing agreements, which you can refer to and save for your records after purchase. Be sure to visit sites such as www.audiojungle.net and www.istockaudio.com for such resources.

Avoid dates and times

Dates and times, particularly as they concern cars, concert tours, and political campaigns, drastically limit the potential for your demo to endure. Marking a date will almost always give your demo a shorter shelf life, unless the date is referring to an historical event, such as the re-enactment of the Battle of 1812.

Generally, if a product is mentioned to be older than two years, try to edit out the date or leave the dates out altogether when recording initially. For instance, if you have a commercial read in your demo about a model of a car that was new in 2005, take some time to update that demo.

Check your work

Regardless of your producing skill and abilities, make sure you run your demo by a few seasoned sets of ears before sharing it with the world. Getting feedback to check your work in these ways is helpful:

Ask your peers for their opinion. This option may be good if your peers have experience in the field. Plus, it’s free.

Receive a demo review from a voice coach. This option is probably better, especially if the voice coach has a strong casting or agency background. These people have their fingers on the pulse of the industry and know what sounds good, what doesn’t, and how you can make your demo offering even better. You don’t want to send out demos that fail to meet contemporary standards or present a diluted version of you and your abilities.

Join a voice-over forum or networking group.This option is also free, and you may find a thread that addresses demo reviews, specifically. In such cases, members are invited to share their demos to gain feedback through peer reviews. One caveat is that not everyone sharing an opinion is listening with the ears of a casting director or someone who genuinely wants to help you.

Budget your production money
Should you be working with a professional producer on a demo, you can expect to pay in the neighborhood of $1,000, or more, which may include a couple hours of rehearsal and coaching, a couple hours in the studio, and the producer’s private editing and production time. If someone is charging less than $600 to do your demo, be sure to take caution. Most demo producers advise you to look elsewhere because anyone charging less than $1,000 probably isn’t devoting enough time to give you a real professional demo that you can market.

If you’re recording your own demo, you need to have a proper studio set-up and the right software and editing tools to get the job done. You also need to find music that you can use, which has an associated cost, unless you’re able to compose and or perform your own music.

Also, think about your time as a factor in cost. How long do you anticipate spending on the process? Remember that it takes twice as long to edit a recording as it did to record it. Your time is valuable, so don’t forget to budget for it. The average cost of recording your own demo, when you factor in your time spent on copywriting, music, voice-over recording, editing, mixing, and mastering, can be up to $1,000.

If you’re going to take production seriously, set your sights on creating solid production value that takes your audience on a journey through varying sounds. Doing so will ensure a professional demo that will highlight your skills and experience, and that will get you the job.

About The Authors

Stephanie Ciccarelli and David Ciccarelli are the founders of Voices.com, the largest global web hub for voice actors. Over the past nine years, Stephanie, David, and their team have grown Voices.com from the ground up to become the leader in the industry. This article was originally published in Voice Acting For Dummies and has been republished with permission from John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

In hopes of being hired for a job, many voice actors and musicians started out by giving live performances to give prospective customers a taste of what they can do. A pre-recorded demo serves as that taste, and in order to get voice-over work, you require a voice-over demo.

Your demo needs to be your best work to show prospective clients and potential agents what you can do. Furthermore, your recording must also be something you feel comfortable assigning your name to and marketing to the public, as your prospective clients can listen to it and evaluate your services firsthand. A voice-over demo is like your business card and resume all wrapped into one; it gives listeners an appreciation for what you’re able to do vocally and also provides a glimpse into how you can sound as the voice of their job.

Thanks to modern technology, you can submit your demo to prospective clients, and they can access it to listen to without you having to be present. You can listen to professional voice-over demos online at http://www.voices.com to get an idea for what actors are using to promote themselves online to get work.

Having at least one voice-over demo is essential to promoting yourself as a voice actor. How will people know if they want to work with you unless they can hear your voice? As well, if one is good, more is better; creating a variety of voice-over demos rounds out your portfolio, showcasing the styles of voice acting that you can perform.

Even though a client may have a certain need and is looking for something specific to cast a voice for his project, having a few different types of voice-over demos online are there to represent the type of work you can do. Remember that just because the client is picky, it doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t interested in you or don’t appreciate a good selection for future reference.

Having a variety of demos for prospective clients to hear is beneficial to you in many ways, not the least of which is that your voice-overs can appear in more searches when those clients are seeking a very specific sound or kind of voice sample when working on an online marketplace site, such as www.elance.com or www.voices.com.

If you post your demos on a voice-acting marketplace site, you can attract customers to your demo through the search results by using as many accurate, descriptive words as possible in your text to explain what your voice-over demo is about. As well, we suggest you start with three or four demos that best highlight your skills. You can add more as you go along.

As a beginner, you may only have tried a couple different styles of voice acting and may be most comfortable making a few short sample-reads of material you found in the public domain or wrote yourself. Do not be afraid to create your portfolio of demos using such material- everyone starts somewhere! As well, remember, if you post on your own website, you still need to make sure you include a detailed description.

Recording demos helps you to discover your unique abilities and leverage opportunities for your voice to shine. The voice is a flexible instrument that lends itself to many purposes and applications. Being able to release yourself from preconceived notions or pigeonholes can only be good for you and your brand.

About The Authors

Stephanie Ciccarelli and David Ciccarelli are the founders of Voices.com, the largest global web hub for voice actors. Over the past nine years, Stephanie, David, and their team have grown Voices.com from the ground up to become the leader in the industry. This article was originally published in Voice Acting For Dummies and has been republished with permission from John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Voice acting is a unique career where the actor’s voice can be heard worldwide — in commercials, audiobooks, animated movies, documentaries, telephone systems and much, much more. But where do you start?

Like all Dummies books, this book is full of useful and practical information on getting started and being successful doing voice-overs. It’s also fun and easy to read.

With contributions from over two dozens industry veterans, agents, recording engineers and audio producers, you’ll be learning from the experts who do voice-overs each and every day for the largest organizations on the planet. In short, you’re in good hands.

In the hard copy edition of Voice Acting For Dummies, you will explore the basics of voice acting, get to know your voice and gain an appreciation for the importance of voice-overs, a voice actor’s role and interpreting scripts to find your unique voice in the industry.

Read and then share the 12 Trends for Voice Acting, a document detailing observations on industry trends from the perspective of the voice over marketplace. We hope you enjoy this gift and that it proves useful to you in the days and months ahead.

Recording Your First Demo? This One is For You! Your demo is a crucial tool in your marketing mix. How do you make an amazing voice over demo? Discover what it takes to promote your voice and acting skills while uncovering the basic truths about what works and what doesn’t.

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About the Acting Book

Becoming a voice actor, working from your own home recording studio and auditioning for voice-over jobs is within your reach! Voices.com cofounders share everything you need to know about getting started in voice-overs in Voice Acting For Dummies.